QVCF 25 ACCOMPANISTS
Introducing our QVC Festival 2025 accompanists.
Our official accompanists are experienced musicians and collaborators who will support and guide you to prepare for your performances.
Working with these pianists will be a wonderful experience, helping you to grow in your singing and know what it is like to receive guidance from a professional accompanist.
After entries close you will receive the program detailing the accompanists for your sections with their contact details.
Our official accompanist for the Operatic Aria section is John Woods.
Jennifer Enchelmaier
Jennifer is a sought-after collaborative pianist, having developed a love of accompaniment work from an early age. In 2022 she was appointed to sessional staff at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and recorded the complete solo works of Australian composer Tom Henry for Move Records in Melbourne. Jennifer studied in Hobart with Beryl Sedivka and continued in France with Cécile Ousset and Odile Poisson, gaining her Premier Prix with distinction at the Conservatoire de Nice. Jennifer has been a finalist at the Premio Fausto Zadra International piano competition in Italy, as well as selected to compete at the Australian National Piano Award. Jennifer has worked for Scottish Opera education, The Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust and Victorian Opera. She has also been on staff at the Melbourne Conservatorium as an accompanist, tutor and lecturer in French and German diction for singers.
John Woods
John studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. He has worked for the RNCM, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and since 1992, the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, as an accompanist and repetiteur. He has accompanied the masterclasses of several distinguished performers, including Dames Janet Baker, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Joan Sutherland.
Artemii Safonov
Artemii Safonov is a talented and accomplished 18-year-old pianist, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Beginning his musical journey at a young age, Artemii has honed his skills through years of education, becoming a highly proficient pianist.
Artemii's passion and talent for music led him to apply to the Queensland Conservatorium, where he was accepted and is currently studying. Despite being underage for the program during his application, Artemii's exceptional musical abilities were recognised, and the institution offered him a place along with an accompanying scholarship.
Recently, Artemii gave a one-hour solo piano recital at the Brisbane City Hall as a part of their regular concert series, performing to a full audience.
In addition to skills as a performer, Artemii is a talented composer, creating music for various ensembles, including solo piano works, art songs, string quartets, woodwind quintets and even orchestral compositions. His compositions frequently claim awards in national and international competitions, such as the QMTA Composers’ competition and the international Choral Laboratory competition, further demonstrating his versatility and musical abilities.
Artemii has wide experience working as a versatile accompanist. Beginning with his first collaborations with singer Amalia Safonova at the age of twelve, Artemii has quickly gone on to develop his skills significantly, accompanying in many different contexts over the years such as concerts, competitions, AMEB examinations and auditions. Artemii has worked with several notable musical organisations, providing his services for rehearsals and concerts with both Opera Australia and Opera Queensland. Artemii is currently the official accompanist for the Redland City Choir.”
Siu-Dea Law
Born in Hong Kong, Siu Dea migrated to New Zealand at a young age, where she received the greater part of her early musical training.
A Bachelor of Music (Hons) performance graduate from the University of Auckland in 1988, she then pursued her post-graduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Hannover, Germany, gaining both performance and chamber music diplomas under Prof Arie Vardi and Prof. Vladimir Kraniew in 1991 and 1993 respectively. In her subsequent years of residence in Germany and then Hong Kong untill 2012, she was active as teacher, accompanist, repetiteur and chamber musician in recitals, concerts, competitions, master classes and recordings.
A move to Italy from 2012-2017 saw Siu Dea furthered her professional exposures and experiences working with singers, instrumentalists and choirs, whilst completing a master in Music Therapy at the Conservatorio Dall’Abaco in Verona.
Since resettling to Brisbane to join family in 2017, Siu Dea has been establishing herself in private teaching, accompanying and as a registered music therapist.
Sophie Min
Sophie Min is a Brisbane-based pianist and composer who blends jazz, experimental, and classical influences to create music that is both innovative and emotionally resonant. Her work is characterised by a deep commitment to exploring the human condition through sophisticated compositions and improvisations. As a visionary artist, Sophie strives to inspire and lead collaborative projects that push the boundaries of jazz and improvised music.
Sophie grew up in South Korea and began learning classical piano at the age of 3. She actively participated in choir ensembles, contemporary gospel music, and school rock bands, where she conducted and created charts from a young age. After majoring in Applied Music at Seoul Institute of The Arts, she moved to Australia in 2010, where she graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium, studying under renowned musicians like Zac Hurren, Steve Newcomb, John Hoffman, and Yitzhak Yedid.
Her first official album, Thanks for the Hands, featuring guitarist James Sherlock, was praised for its delicate beauty and lyrical interaction, with a successful launch at Jazz Music Institute and Jazzlab. In 2018, she presented a solo performance at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival, followed by the release of Solo Vol.1, an all-improvised piano album. Her collaborative project Open with bassist Helen Svoboda and drummer Timothy Green further showcased her innovative approach to improvisation.
In 2019, she released Fine Gnaw with her duo project SHAMIN, which was highlighted at several major festivals, including the 2022 Wangaratta Jazz Festival. In 2020, Sophie released the 11-piece orchestra album Bellwether, a significant work blending big band, contemporary jazz, minimalism, and classical chamber music. This was followed by Your Wings, a 7-piece ensemble album recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown, and Intertwined Trees, a duo album with German saxophonist Heinrich von Klein.
Sophie has been recognised with numerous awards and nominations, including an APRA-AMCOS Emerging Composer Mentorship in 2020, which led to her commissioned work Pomegranate Seeds, performed by Pharos at the 2021 Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival. She has also been a finalist for the 2021 Australian Jazz Bell Awards and the 2022 Freedman Fellowship.
Her International experience includes being a member of the JM Jazz World Orchestra in 2015 and participating in the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music in 2018, studying with Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey.
Sophie continues to push the boundaries of jazz with her innovative compositions and improvisations, committed to creating music that deeply resonates with audiences worldwide.